Italiano With Jodina

A great way to learn Italian, or any language, is listening to and singing along with children’s songs. It’s an excellent way to attune your ear to the pronunciation, rhythm, and cadence of the Italian language.

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Their simple melodies make these songs easy to master — in no time you’ll find yourself humming and singing them!

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This week in my Italian classes, we’re learning the Italian children’s song  “Il caffe della Peppina”.  The song is from the “Lo zecchino d’oro” (The Golden Coin), an International Festival of Children’s Song that has been held every year since 1959, first as a national (Italian) event, and after 1976 as an international one.

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This first video is the song cartoon (‘cartone animato’) and has Italian subtitles.

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The second video features “Il caffe della Peppina” sung by an Italian children’s chorus from 1971. Very, very cute — carinissimo!

This last video features the lyrics karaoke-style, so you can easily sing along!

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Buongiorno!

Article/Blog by Jodina Hahn

This is Part I of a 5-part series on ideas and ways to amp up your speed of learning. (Aumentare la tua velocità di apprendimento)

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People often ask me for advice on learning a foreign language.  And it’s often after they’ve been trying to learn it completely on their own, using books, CDs, etc. And very often they’re at a point where they’ve hit a wall… that is, they’re not making the progress they’d hoped for, or it’s become stale.

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I’ve not only spent many years teaching languages to adults, I’ve also spent many years as a (successsful) language learner… so I know a thing or two… 🙂

For starters, I say make it as real as possible, immerse yourself in your language of choice as much as you can. There are many ways you can do this… even though you don’t live in Italy!

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Most importantly, consider that language is a tool of communication… and get yourself into a situation where you are practicing speaking it as soon as possible. Enroll in a class, join a study group, or get a tutor. It’s hard and unnatural to learn a language in a void alone with just you and your books, etc. It would be like reading and studying about working out, getting in shape, and eating healthy, but never actually going to a gym, going for a run, or joining a team.

And you need to do it regularly… getting a workout once a month is not going to make you buffed or fluent!

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And like getting in shape, you do need to make a commitment and keep at it, which is why it’s so important to find a sport/gym or language/learning methods you really like. Fall in love with your language of choice, because in order to become fluent, you’ll need to spend a lot of time together! 😉

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The approach I suggest is multi-pronged:

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Enroll in a class, join a group that meets regularly, or get a regular tutor — this  gets you speaking  and processing the language (even if you’re just a beginner — you gotta start somewhere!), keeps you accountable, and motivates you to study  between ‘live’ sessions, so that each time you have a little more to bring to the table and can get more out of the encounter.

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Once you’re in a situation using the language for what it was actually intended –speaking– other aspects of study take on a different perspective, and all those study tools (I think of them as language toys) start to look all shiny and fun again. Now it’s just a question of trying on/out the many different ways to get more of the language into your regular life between ‘live’ practice sessions. There are many different styles… experiment with all the different ways to learn (many of them non-traditional) and find out which ones work for you.

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Here, the first TEN of “50 Ways to Accelerate Your Learning Curve”:

1. Rent and watch Italian movies. (Click here for a few I like.)
2. Hang out in little Italy.
3. Find Italians to befriend on Facebook.
4. Check out/Participate in Facebook pages dedicated to learning Italian (Two to start: (1) ItalianoWithJodina Facebook page and (2) Italian Talk–Another I visit regularly.)
5. While driving in your car, or anywhere you’re completely alone, talk to yourself–pretend to be Italian, unable to speak English.
6. Increase vocabulary by learning new words for everyday household items. Paste Italian words around the house, on sticky notes.
7. Read books set in and about Italy–for example…                                            La Bella Lingua by Dianne Hales, Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes, Living in a Foreign Language by Michael Tucker, Too Much Tuscan Sun by Dario Castagno, La Bella Figura, Beppe Severgnini
8. Cook Italian food — find recipes on the  internet.
9. Check out other blogs/websites dedicated to things Italian, including: www.BecomingItalian.com, Diario di una studentessa matta, Bleeding Espresso
10. Listen to and sing along with Italian music CDs. (YouTube is a great source, as is my Links Page.)

Buon giorno!

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Watching Italian films in lingua originale (original language, in this case Italian) is an excellent way to sharpen your ear to the sounds of the language spoken within a specific context. Not to mention, seeing Italian cinema is always an excellent way to get a dose of Italian culture!

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Here are links to info on current and upcoming Italian movies in and around San Diego.

Buona visione!

• Film “Il pranzo di ferr’agosto” (Mid-august Lunch, with English subtitles), La Jolla Village Landmark Cinema, is still showing. Highly & amusing. Get out & see it!

Landmark Cinema
8879 Villa La Jolla Drive
La Jolla, CA 92037
(619) 819-0236 

Showtimes: Daily 4:30 and 10:30 pm, Sat/Sun also at 11 am.

• Mira Costa College International Film Series, monthly through May 2010 ~ Details here. (Location: Oceanside, Cost: free)
• San Diego Italian Film Festival Classic Film Series, monthly/bi-montlhy through June 2010 ~ Click here for details
• A few Italian film titles that I like (rent thru Netflix or your favorite movie rental provider): Jodina’s Movie Picks

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Mina – Bio info

(Links to music & video below)

Anna Maria Mazzini, born 25 March 1940, known simply as Mina, is an Italian pop singer with Swiss citizenship. Born to a working class family in Busto Arsizio, Mina grew up in Cremona and was college educated in accounting. She went on to become one of Italy’s great modern female vocalists. Distinguished by the great extension and agility of her soprano voice and her image as an emancipated lady, she was a staple of the Italian television variety shows and a dominant figure on the Italian charts in the 1960s and 1970s. Mina combined several modern styles with the traditional Italian melody and swing music, making her the most versatile pop singer in Italian music. She dominated the Italian charts for fifteen years and reached an unsurpassed level of popularity in Italy.

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Mina’s first TV appearances in 1959 presented the first female rock and roll singer in Italy. Her loud syncopated singing earned her the nickname Queen of Screamers (La Regina degli urlatori). For her wild gestures and body shakes, the publicity also labeled her the Tiger of Cremona (La Tigre di Cremona).

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Mina’s pregnancy and relationship with a married actor (Corrado Pani) caused her to be banned on the public Italian channels in 1963, because her lifestyle did not agree with the dominant catholic and bourgeois morals. After the ban, the Italian broadcasting service RAI continued, unsuccessfully, trying to prohibit her songs, which were forthright in dealing with subjects such as religion, smoking, and sex. To her ’bad girl’ image, Mina added sex appeal and a cool act, featuring public smoking, dyed blond hair, and shaved eyebrows.

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Mina’s voice had distinctive timbre and great power. Her main themes were anguished love stories interpreted in a dramatic way. The singer combined classic Italian pop with features of blues, R&B and soul music in the late 1960s. Top Italian songwriters created material with large vocal range and unusual chord progression to showcase her singing skills.

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Around 1978, the singer went into a sort of self-imposed exile in Switzerland. On March 30, 2001, after 23 years of reclusion, Mina’s made her last public appearance, on video showing her in a recording studio. Mina remains somewhat of an enigma, and in these years of ‘voluntary exile’, she has declined to give interviews and has communicated with her fans only by way of her records and her columns in magazines such as Vanity Fair and contributions to Italian newspapers.

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Here, a few Mina tunes I like (links to music & video):

• Tintarella di Luna, a light upbeat tune considered ‘surf pop’, was Mina’s first Italian #1 hit (1959). The name, “Tintarella di luna,” means “Moon Tan”, which was performed in her first musicarello (musical comedy film) “Juke box – Urli d’amore.”

• Io Sono il Vento, (I am the Wind), a song of a more dramatic flavor. Good collection of pictures here.

• Le Mille Bolle Blu, (The Thousand Blue Bubbles), clip from the film “Mina… Fuori la Guardia”     — check out the hair, the set, etc…  Lady Gaga’s got nothing on Mina! 😉

New song selections added 3/11/2010: “Donne” by Zucchero–

–3/12/2010: “Essere una Donna,” Anna Tatangelo

–Scroll down!

In honor of  International Women’s Day (La Giornata Internazionale della Donna, or La Festa Donna), all this week I will be featuring various Italian songs dedicated to women, le donne.

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This list will grow as the days go by. Remember that you can easily find lyrics to the songs by doing an internet search using the song title followed by the word ‘lyrics’. And if you are unable to find a translation, you might consider using iGoogle.

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Le Canzone Dedicated alle Donne / Italian Songs dedicated to Women:

1. Quello che le donne non dicono, by Fiorella Mannoia
2. Donne, by Zucchero Sugar Fornacciari
3. Essere una donna, Ana Tanangelo (Modern commentary on the objectification of women… “essere una donna e` piu di una minigonna, ecc”…)
   

Auguri per la Festa della Donna!

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Happy International Women’s Day! (La Giornata Internazionale della Donna).

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On the 8th of March, International Women’s Day is celebrated widely around the World. The origins and history of this celebration are varied and date as far back as the 1800’s. (For more information, see the Wikipedia link below.)

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In 1945 (when the Italian Republic was born, after the period of Musolini and Fascism) the Union of Italian Women declared that March 8th – also known as “Festa della Donna”- should be dedicated to the celebration of womanhood across the country.

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Men and women (but especially men) offer bunches of yellow mimosa flowers (the yellow fragrant spring flower from the acacia tree) to all the important women in their lives. It is common to give flowers to family members, friends and co-workers.

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This day is an important opportunity that provides the chance to consider and discuss women’s rights and their role in society.

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Here, a few links to info and commentaries on la Festa della Donna. Some are in Italian… if you need help, you might try the URL/webpage translator at iGoogle.

1. Current Events:  Italy Celbrates Women’s Day
2. Info at Wikipedia
3. Words & phrases for the occasion:  Frasi di auguri Festa della Donna
4. Video: Mimose
   
5. Article in an Italian newspaper: Free Museum Admission
   
6. The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) just published this report: “Aid in support of gender equality and women’s empowerment 2007-2008”

Buondì! (Good day!)

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“La Musica di Mercoledì” means “The Music of Wednesday” (or Wednesday’s Music).

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This will be a regular weekly installment on my web/blog-site, and will feature different Italian songs, music, and musical artists.

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Any Italian songs/musicians you really love?

Send ’em my way — they might just end up in a future Musica di Mercoledì post! 

~Your comments are always welcome~

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This week’s Italian musical picks arrive compliments of some of my friends in Italia who sent their favorite Italian love songs for my Valentines Day series of blog posts.

(Links to those here:  Post 1…Post 2…Post 3)

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There was such a surplus of good songs that I couldn’t post them all… so, since love / l’amore is always in season, here are the rest of the canzoni d’amore:

• – Buonanotte A Te, by Fabio Concato
• – Vorrei incontrarti tra cent’anni, by Ron
• – Resta cu’mme, Domenico Modugno (Yes! The same guy who sang “Volare”)

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Grazie e baci ad Emmanuele & Claudio!

Hi there!

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“Il detto della domenica” means “The Sunday Saying” (or expression).
This will be a regular weekly feature on my web/blog-site, and will be a showcase for Italian proverbs, idioms, and tongue twisters.

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This week’s “La fame viene mangiando”, meaning Hunger comes (while) eating, refers to that curious phenomenon whereby you may not feel hungry (‘avere fame’) until you’re actually in the act of eating or seeing the food… and then ‘boom’ out of nowhere, you’re suddenly ravenous!

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While often used in reference to eating, this expression or proverb is also often used in other situations where one might not really feel like doing some thing or activity until actually midstream in the act… calling to mind the English (American) expression “Fake it ’til you make it!”

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Practicing “sciolingue,” the Italian equivalent of tongue twisters, is an amusing way to practice and improve your pronunciation.

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Here is this week’s sciolingua/tongue twister:

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“In un piatto cupo poco pepe cape.”

In a dark plate little pepper fits.

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This tongue twister, as with last week’s [“Sora la panca la capra campa…”], seems not too difficult when pronounced slowly, but becomes much more challenging as you pick up the pace! Pay attention, again, to the double ‘t’ by placing extra emphasis on it.

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Buon divertimento! (Have fun!)

Have you ever wondered about the origin or meaning of an Italian last name? Or how many people there are in Italy with your last name? Or perhaps the most common first names for Italian men and women? And how to pronounce them? Looking for an Italian name for the baby,  the pet, or your sweetie?

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Check out this fun and useful site for this and other useful Italian name- and surname-related information.  ~ITALIAN NAMES~

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This link goes to the page in English. (There’s a button on the top right you can click to choose the Italian version of the page.) See the lists along the left side from the top of Name and Last Name menu choices.

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Buon apprendimento!
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N.B. (This means ‘Nota Bene’, or ‘take note’):  Plenty of the choices on this site are links to advertisements. A bit of weeding might be necessary. But the bulk of choices in the Names and Last Names on the top left side are good sources of name info.